Ephesians 2:1-10

1. Ephesians 2:1-10 “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us…”

2. Ephesians 2:1-10 “…Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast…”

3. Ephesians 2:1-10 “…For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (NKJV).

4. “Now That’s Living!” Australian magazine promoting cruises, retirement communities and other activities for those over 55.

5. “Now That’s Living!”(Ephesians 2:1-10) Paul promotes a condition in which those who attain it can recognize that the life they lived in the past was not really living.

6. “Now That’s Living!”(Ephesians 2:1-10) “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1, NKJV). • “We all once conducted ourselves” (2:3a). • “Dead in trespasses” (2:1b, 5a). • In accord with “the lusts of the flesh” seeking to fulfill “the desires of the flesh and of the mind” (2:3).

7. “Now That’s Living!”(Ephesians 2:1-10) “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1, NKJV). • “Sons of disobedience” (2:2c). • Will of Satan “the prince of the power of the air” (2:2b; cf. John 8:44). • “By nature, children of wrath” (2:3b; cf. 1 Cor. 11:14).

8. “Now That’s Living!”(Ephesians 2:1-10) “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1, NKJV). • Like Adam and Eve (cf. Gen. 2:17). • Those separated from God are spiritually dead (Isa. 59:2). • “Children of wrath” (2:3b). • “God is angry with the wicked every day” (Ps. 7:11b).

9. “Now That’s Living!”(Ephesians 2:1-10) How Can a Dead Man Live? • They changed from dead men (who thought they were alive) to living souls (who could now know that they were truly alive)! • God is the subject of the verb in the phrase “He made us alive” (2:5b). • He is one who is “rich in mercy” (2:4b). • “Because of His great love with which He loved us” (2:4c).

10. “Now That’s Living!”(Ephesians 2:1-10) Can An Angry God Be Said to Be “Love”? • “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16). • The Ephesians were spiritually dead (2:1b, 5a). • They were “children of wrath” (2:3). • The anger of God towards our sin is not incompatible with the declaration that “God is love.”

11. “Now That’s Living!”(Ephesians 2:1-10) Alive in Christ • The Christian is “made alive” (Eph. 2:1, NKJV). • God “made” (past tense) “us alive together with Christ” (2:5b). • He has “raised” (past tense) “us up together” and even “made” (past tense) “us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (2:6). • The next verse refers to the future (2:7). • The Christian now enjoys fellowship with God.

12. “Now That’s Living!”(Ephesians 2:1-10) When Did This Begin? • Paul told the Romans they were “buried with Him in baptism” so that as Christ was “raised from the dead” they might “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4). • Baptism is when one is “raised up together with Christ” (Eph. 2:6).

13. “Now That’s Living!”(Ephesians 2:1-10) Some Reject This • Twice Paul told the Ephesians “by grace you have been saved” (Eph. 2:5b, 8a). • The second time he adds, “through faith, and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God, not of works , lest anyone should boast” (2:8b-9).

14. “Now That’s Living!”(Ephesians 2:1-10) How Has God Saved By Grace? • Paul told the Romans that the gospel message is “the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16). • Salvation by grace doesn’t mean grace alone. • Does “through faith” mean faith alone? • The demons “believe—and tremble” (Jas 2:18). • Demons are not saved (cf. Matt. 25:41).

15. “Now That’s Living!”(Ephesians 2:1-10) How Has God Saved By Grace? • Paul told them it was “not of yourselves” Eph. 2:8c) clarifying that it was “not of works” (2:9a). • Works like “trespasses and sins” (2:1), walking “according to the course of the world” (2:2), and conduct governed by the “lusts of the flesh” (2:3). • In spite of these God saved them—by His grace— this was “His kindness toward us in Christ” (2:7b).

16. “Now That’s Living!”(Ephesians 2:1-10) How Has God Saved By Grace? • Paul told Titus “the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward men appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:4-5a). • “Grace through faith” (Eph. 2:8b). • Saved us “through the washing of regeneration” (Titus 3:5b)—i.e. baptism. • Peter said “baptism now saves you” explaining it is “through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 3:21).

17. “Now That’s Living!”(Ephesians 2:1-10) How Has God Saved By Grace? • To say that salvation is by faith alone ignores that Jesus said “faith” is a work (see John 6:29). • To reject baptism’s role in God ‘s grace as if it is a work of ourselves is to miss its purpose in the gospel. • God calls us to “obey the gospel” (2 Thess. 1:8; 1 Pet. 4:17).